Shakira

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, known mononymously as Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia, she has been referred to as the "Queen of Latin Music" and has been praised for her musical versatility.

Shakira made her recording debut with Sony Music Colombia at the age of 13. Despite the commercial failure of her first two albums, Magia (1991) and Peligro (1993), she rose to prominence in Hispanic countries with her next albums, Pies Descalzos (1995) and Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998).

Shakira entered the English-language market with her fifth album, Laundry Service (2001), which sold over 13 million copies worldwide. Buoyed by the international success of her singles "Whenever, Wherever" and "Underneath Your Clothes", the album propelled her reputation as a leading crossover artist.

Her success was further solidified with the Spanish-language albums Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (2005), Sale el Sol (2010), El Dorado (2017), and Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (2024), all of which topped the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. Meanwhile, her English-language albums Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005), She Wolf (2009), and Shakira (2014) received platinum certifications in various countries worldwide.

Some of her songs have reached number-one on the charts in multiple countries, including "Ciega, Sordomuda", "Whenever, Wherever", "La Tortura", "Hips Don't Lie", "Beautiful Liar", "She Wolf", "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", "Loca", "Rabiosa", "Can't Remember to Forget You", "Dare (La La La)", "La Bicicleta", "Chantaje", "Te Felicito", "Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53", and "TQG".

Outside of music, Shakira served as a coach on two seasons of the American singing competition television series The Voice (2013–2014), had a voice role in the animated film Zootopia (2016), and executive produced and judged the dance competition series Dancing with Myself (2022).

Shakira shares two sons, Milan and Sasha, with her ex-partner, Gerard Piqué. She grew up as the only child her parents, William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia Ripoll Torrado, shared. However, her father had nine children from a past marriage, so Shakira has several half-siblings.

Shakira starts her day early with a shower, a healthy breakfast, and a green smoothie. She works out six days a week, with every day being different. It's a balancing act between producing new music videos, releasing new music, charitable work, and being a mother.

She has received numerous accolades, including three Grammy Awards, fourteen Latin Grammy Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, thirty-nine Billboard Latin Music Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards, twenty-one Guinness World Records, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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